Poems

Let the rain kiss you Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drop Let the rain sing you a lullaby The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk The rain makes running pools in the gutter The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night And I love the rain.

= 50-50 = I’m all alone in this world, she said, Ain’t got nobody to share my bed, Ain’t got nobody to hold my hand— The truth of the matter’s I ain’t got no man. Big Boy opened his mouth and said, Trouble with you is You ain’t got no head! If you had a head and used your mind You could have //me// with you All the time. She answered, Babe, what must I do? He said, Share your bed— //And your money, too.//

**Bound No'th Blues**
Goin’ down the road, Lawd, Goin’ down the road. Down the road, Lawd, Way,way down the road. Got to find somebody To help me carry this load.

Road’s in front o’ me, Nothin’ to do but walk. Road’s in front of me, Walk…an’ walk…an’ walk. I’d like to meet a good friend To come along an’ talk.

Hates to be lonely, Lawd, I hates to be sad. Says I hates to be lonely, Hates to be lonely an’ sad, But ever friend you finds seems Like they try to do you bad.

Road, road, road, O! Road, road…road…road, road! Road, road, road, O! On the no’thern road. These Mississippi towns ain’t Fit fer a hoppin’ toad.

Still Here
I been scared and battered. My hopes the wind done scattered. Snow has friz me, Sun has baked me, Looks like between 'em they done Tried to make me Stop laughin', stop lovin', stop livin'-- But I don't care! I'm still here!

The Dream Keeper
Bring me all of your dreams, You dreamer, Bring me all your Heart melodies That I may wrap them In a blue cloud-cloth Away from the too-rough fingers Of the world.

Juke Box Love Song
I could take the Harlem night and wrap around you, Take the neon lights and make a crown, Take the Lenox Avenue busses, Taxis, subways, And for your love song tone their rumble down. Take Harlem's heartbeat, Make a drumbeat, Put it on a record, let it whirl, And while we listen to it play, Dance with you till day-- Dance with you, my sweet brown Harlem girl.

= Children's Rhymes = By what sends the white kids I ain't sent: I know I can't be President. What don't bug them white kids sure bugs me: We know everybody ain't free. Lies written down for white folks ain't for us a-tall: //Liberty And Justice--// Huh!--//For All?//

Dreams
Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow.

Dream Boogie
Good morning, daddy! Ain't you heard The boogie-woogie rumble Of a dream deferred? Listen closely: You'll hear their feet Beating out and beating out a - You think It's a happy beat?

Listen to it closely: Ain't you heard something underneath like a - What did I say? Sure, I'm happy!

Hey, pop!Take it away! Re-bop! Mop! Y-e-a-h!

Fire-Caught
The gold moth did not love him

So, gorgeous, she flew away. But the gray moth circled the flame Until the break of day. And then, with wings like a dead desire, She fell, fire-caught, into the flame.

Wealth
From Christ to Ghandi Appears this truth- St. Francis of Assisi Proves it, too: Goodness becomes grandeur Surpassing might of kings.

Brighter shine Than crowns of gold, And brighter Than rich diamonds Sparkles The simple dew Of love.

Trumpet Player
The Negro With the trumpet at his lips Has dark moons of weariness Beneath his eyeswhere the smoldering memory

of slave ships Blazed to the crack of whipsabout thighs The negro with the trumpet at his lips has a head of vibrant hair tamed down,patent-leathered now until it gleams

like jet-were jet a crown the music from the trumpet at his lips is honey mixed with liquid fire the rhythm from the trumpet at his lips is ecstasy distilled from old desire-

Desire that is longing for the moon where the moonlight's but a spot light in his eyes, desire that is longing for the sea where the sea's a bar-glass sucker size

The Negro with the trumpet at his lips whose jacket Has a fine one-button roll,does not know upon what riff the music slips

It's hypodermic needle to his soul but softly as the tune comes from his throat trouble mellows to a golden note

Cross
My old man's a white old man And my old mother's black. If ever I cursed my white old man I take my curses back. If ever I cursed my black old mother And wished she were in hell, I'm sorry for that evil wish And now I wish her well My old man died in a fine big house. My ma died in a shack. I wonder were I'm going to die, Being neither white nor black?

Merry-Go-Round
Where is the Jim Crow section On this merry-go-round, Mister, cause I want to ride? Down South where I come from White and colored Can't sit side by side. Down South on the train There's a Jim Crow car. On the bus we're put in the back— But there ain't no back To a merry-go-round! Where's the horse For a kid that's black?

Catch
Big Boy came Carrying a mermaid On his shoulders And the mermaid Had her tail Curved Beneath his arm.

Being a fisher boy, He’d found a fish To carry— Half fish, Half girl To marry.

Peace
We passed their graves: The dead men there, Winners or losers, Did not care. In the dark They could not see Who had gained The victory.

As I Grew Older
It was a long time ago. I have almost forgotten my dream. But it was there then, In front of me, Bright like a sun-- My dream. And then the wall rose, Rose slowly, Slowly, Between me and my dream. Rose until it touched the sky-- The wall. Shadow. I am black. I lie down in the shadow. No longer the light of my dream before me, Above me. Only the thick wall. Only the shadow. My hands! My dark hands! Break through the wall! Find my dream!

Help me to shatter this darkness, To smash this night, To break this shadow Into a thousand lights of sun, Into a thousand whirling dreams Of sun!

I, Too
I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I'll be at the table When company comes. Nobody'll dare Say to me, "Eat in the kitchen," Then. Besides, They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed-- I, too, am America.

Life Is Fine
I went down to the river, I set down on the bank. I tried to think but couldn't, So I jumped in and sank.

I came up once and hollered! I came up twice and cried! If that water hadn't a-been so cold

I might've sunk and died.

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!

I took the elevator Sixteen floors above the ground. I thought about my baby And thought I would jump down.

I stood there and I hollered! I stood there and I cried! If it hadn't a-been so high I might've jumped and died.

But it was High up there! It was high!

So since I'm still here livin', I guess I will live on. I could've died for love-- But for livin' I was born

Though you may hear me holler, And you may see me cry-- I'll be dogged, sweet baby, If you gonna see me die.

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!

**Wisdom and War **

We do not care- That much is clear. Not enough Of us care Anywhere. We are not wise- For that reason, Mankind dies. To think Is much against The will. Better- And easier- To kill.